User Reviews

This is an impressive documentary - there can be no argument about that. The question is whether its because the subject of the documentary (the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission) is enough to make you sit back and rethink every thought you have ever had on pain, suffering and the vengefulness that invariable goes with it. Or perhaps it is the film makers' extraordinary ability to draw from the people involved an honesty and openness which is as impressive as it is devastating to watch.

You can not possibly watch this documentary without being changed by it and hopefully no opportunity will ever arise to make a documentary like this one again, so it is a must see.

This is definitely the best documentary I have ever seen. Enough said.

This documentary tells four true stories of apartheid in South Africa. As one of the people in the film points out, there is a Kafkaesque atmosphere about people confessing their atrocities in order to seek amnesty.

The point of both the hearings in the film and of the film itself is to be able to heal by facing the truth. Only in facing the past can we prevent ourselves from repeating it. We must remember the true horrors that humans can make for other humans. That is the only sane way of sustaining a better world that can emerge from the chaos.

Not an easy film to watch, there are times when anguish flies off the screen into the viewer. But purgation comes from witnessing truth, accepting it, and guarding against the evil within us that is capable of such horror. This is a human story that will alter your perspective on life.

I am stumbling over how to start to write this documentary film experience, other that I will not repeat prior posting notions.

I am a child of Los Angeles, California (USA) and have never migrated too much outside of this Mediterranean climate basin and its metropolitan life and values. Within my 59 years, I suppose 46 of those have been cognitive of my own beliefs, fears, timidity and aggressions.

I am very pessimistic that the United States can ever move to release its bondage of its Afro-American citizens.

It is within this context that I viewed this wonderful documentary. The values presented are the values that tug at the basic fiber of my country and myself in reconciliation to people of color. With all our power and global military strength and dominance, we (USA) cannot even cure or dare to discuss issues of race with a true face.

This film is a mirror held in the face of most Western powers, and mostly USA. This film provides a wonderful model to heal at least part of our past.

Perhaps President George W. Bush can include this film in his "faith-based" programs that will get federal funding and a wide exposure. And in his Education program, should be screened at all our schools and at a very young student viewing age.

I am stumbling over how to start to write this documentary film experience, other that I will not repeat prior posting notions.

I am a child of Los Angeles, California (USA) and have never migrated too much outside of this Mediterranean climate basin and its metropolitan life and values. Within my 59 years, I suppose 46 of those have been cognitive of my own beliefs, fears, timidity and aggressions.

I am very pessimistic that the United States can ever move to release its bondage of its Afro-American citizens.

It is within this context that I viewed this wonderful documentary. The values presented are the values that tug at the basic fiber of my country and myself in reconciliation to people of color. With all our power and global military strength and dominance, we (USA) cannot even cure or dare to discuss issues of race with a true face.

This film is a mirror held in the face of most Western powers, and mostly USA. This film provides a wonderful model to heal at least part of our past

This movie grows in you, even if you didn't like it that much.... like a dream.

This movie is mesmerizing. I'd highly recommend it to anyone open to dreamy/surreal filmmaking. I was so excited about this film! The dream sequence has long been a staple of the movies & this film is full of them. A highly rated film. It has been given 10 stars.

The camerawork throughout is a genius, and the visuals and writing overlap in ticklish little ways across scenes, encouraging you to connect the puzzle pieces yourself. Don't get confused because of the first hour-yeah its very slow and maybe boring, but the one hour makes up for everything. A straight masterpiece!

This was the best documentary of the Oscar-nominated group. The witnesses came before the commission and confessed to murderous conduct in exchange for forgiveness. The testimony was raw and painful and absolutely riveting.

After Apartheid ended, there had been so many atrocities committed by so many people on both sides that South Africa decided to pardon anyone from criminal prosecutions who came before the commission and told the truth about their complicity in the killing of blacks or whites.

The power of this remarkable film comes from the ability of the families and friends of the victims to forgive.

Ms. Hoffman, who was already nominated for a profound and excellent documentary about her mother's decline into Alzheimer's, is one of the finest living documentary makers in this country.

Four stories of murder unfold in front of the families of the victims. The Witnesses admit to their crimes in different ways. This is an important film. An experiment in forgiveness for unforgivable unspeakable acts of violence.

Also the soundtrack is unusually excellent for a documentary.

This is a trans-formative film that touches deep and complex emotions . The visceral response of anger, hatred and revenge that surge from a feeling of being wronged are intensely powerful. This film attempts ,and succeeds in offering a mechanism and process that has the power to divert the impulse to kill to strike back to be vengeful, to perpetuate a cycle of violence into a outcome more difficult but ultimately cathartic and positive . It is a searing and haunting journey and one we can all learn from. restorative justice is a fragile process- it requires truth and responsibility and a belief that we share common human decency and dignity. It is not available to all; but if this base notion of justice was incorporated into our vindictive criminal justice system we would see dramatic and positive changes .

Long Night's Journey into Day is a documentary film that explores the aftermath of apartheid in South Africa through the lens of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The TRC was a special court that offered amnesty to perpetrators of human rights violations in exchange for their full confession and cooperation. The film follows four cases of the TRC, each involving a different aspect of the conflict between the white minority regime and the black majority resistance. The film shows the emotional and moral challenges of confronting the past and seeking forgiveness in a deeply divided society.

The film was directed by Deborah Hoffmann and Frances Reid, two award-winning filmmakers who spent two and a half years filming the TRC hearings and interviewing the participants. The film was narrated by Helen Mirren, a renowned British actress who has played several roles related to South Africa. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2001, and won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival in 20003.

The film is widely praised for its powerful and balanced portrayal of the human drama and the historical context of the TRC process. The film also raises important questions about the meaning and limits of justice, reconciliation, and forgiveness in the face of atrocities and trauma. The film is a compelling and insightful look into a unique and courageous experiment in healing a nation.

If you are interested in watching the film, you can find it on Amazon or IMDb.

"Long Night's Journey Into Day" is a 2000 documentary film directed by Frances Reid and Deborah Hoffmann. The movie tells the story of four cases that were heard by South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in the late 1990s. The TRC was established to investigate human rights abuses during apartheid and to promote national unity and reconciliation. The movie explores the personal stories of the victims and perpetrators of apartheid and the challenges of rebuilding a nation after years of violence and oppression.

The movie is a powerful and thought-provoking documentary that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit. The pace of the movie is slow, but it gives the plot and the audience enough time to fully realize the implications of the eventual revelations. The cinematography is stunning, and the interviews with the cast are exceptional. The movie provides a unique perspective on the TRC and the challenges of reconciliation in post-apartheid South Africa.

Overall, "Long Night's Journey Into Day" is a must-see film that will leave you moved and inspired. It is a masterpiece that deserves to be seen and appreciated by all.

Long night's journey into day its a beautiful historic documentary which is telling four stories of apartheid in south africa as seen through the eyes of the truth and reconciliation commission. Its a teachable documentary reminding us as black africans were we coming from as a nation of black african and americans. This documentary was realesed on 9 march 2001 being directed by frances reid and johnny symons. History despite its wrenching pain cannot be unlived and if faced with courage need not be lived again. This a lesson of South Africans of how hard it was for the ANC to give the life we living today.